With its end-to-end encryption and zero-access architecture, communicating privately via email has never been easier. Fortunately, ProtonMail came up with a completely secure system that encrypts emails automatically, making it easy for the less tech-savvy to send messages without having to fear about eavesdropping. However, email, one of the most commonly used forms of online communication, was not built to be secure, and making sure messages are entirely private is not an easy skill to master. After Edward Snowden leaked the NSA's global surveillance programs in 2013, internet privacy became a major concern to the average user. This information can then be shared with other members of the Five Eyes allegiance.In 2014, ProtonMail was being used by a handful of CERN scientists nowadays, with more than 28 million users, it's one of the largest secure email providers in the world.

(And in the U.S., emails are considered “abandoned” after 180 days, so the government can request them without a warrant.) This includes inbox contents, metadata, IP addresses, and more. and may be forced by law to turn over information on its users. Switzerland is not part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement that exists between the U.S., Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.īy comparison, Google is located in the U.S. This means that ProtonMail can’t be forced to hand over data to authorities in the U.S. In addition to not being able to read the email stored on their servers, ProtonMail is based in Switzerland, where privacy laws are notoriously strict.

RELATED: What Is End-to-End Encryption, and Why Does It Matter? ProtonMail’s Servers Are Located in Switzerland Unlike with ProtonMail, which explicitly supports the feature, working with PGP inside of Gmail is much less streamlined and borderline unusable on mobile. Using PGP inside of Gmail is possible but difficult, with browser extensions like Mailvelope and FlowCrypt making it easier to manage.

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